Issue 3 – Controversies

Editorial

The word controversy originates from the Latin word “controversia”, whereas “contra” can be translated as against, and “vertere” (or versus) to turn. Consequently is the mythological meaning of controversy “to turn against”.

For those of us that are interested in what happens when technology and society meet, controversies often get significant attention. The thing about controversies is that they show clearly the dynamic interactions between different social groups. It displays that scientific facts cannot be directly transformed to technical solutions in a society. The social and technological uncertainties of controversies lead to a situation where a dispute no longer can be resolved on the sole basis of scientific results.

At a first glance it could probably be hard to identify a recurring theme in the articles in this issue of Teknovatøren, but the first part of this editorial and the cover should provide the reader with some clues. This issue goes into the broad term of controversies, and there is a wide span between the different subjects. The objective is to show the diversity of science and innovation studies, as well as how essential it is to analyze controversies in society.